


Bravery is in The Shade of Red

by KOWritesIt



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bottom Keith (Voltron), Bottom Lance (Voltron), Comfort, Coming Out, Crying Keith (Voltron), Emotional, Gay Keith (Voltron), Homophobia, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Lance is Paranoid, Lance learns how to be a better person, M/M, Paranoia, Self-Discovery, Shiro and Keith hug, Top Keith (Voltron), Top Lance (Voltron), gay acceptance, klance switch, supportive shiro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 12:05:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13247865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KOWritesIt/pseuds/KOWritesIt
Summary: Keith has a secret he's been holding, but his friends don't know what the secret is. They come down to assume what the problem may be, but find out that they are totally wrong. The truth leaves Lance paranoid.A story in which Lance becomes a better person and Klance blossoms. I am hoping this story goes a long way, my plans for this story is all over the place.





	Bravery is in The Shade of Red

**Author's Note:**

> This story may trigger people! It involves unknown homophobia from Lance. I know Lance isn't that bad of a person, he honestly doesn't realize he's being homophobic. He learns his mistake and tries to grow to be a better person.
> 
> OH! I made this to where when Shiro came back in season 3, he took over the black lion instantly, making everyone go back to their previous shift. So... I guess this goes in the order of season 1, season 2, season 3, season 2, and then later on I guess I will switch it back to season 4? :'D I am not sure, but that's how I am rolling with this. I am so sorry, I am screwing up the canon story.
> 
> Anyways, I love Keith. Mostly going to talk about Keith. Keith's love, Keith's life. 
> 
> I am not the best with past and present tenses, so don't be afraid to correct me on that or use of words!
> 
> I am also sorry that I am editing this! I just felt like more could be added. I know I shouldn't publish a work that I planned to fix, but i couldn't help myself. Next time I won't submit until i am 100% happy with what I have.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is a little distracted which causes his friends to worry. They fear he might be depressed, but soon learn that that wasn't it at all. The truth makes Lance paranoid.

Keith had been acting oddly for the past few weeks, to say the least. He had been more withdrawn than usual and seemed to be zoning out.

Now was one of those times.

Voltron was in the middle of a battle against a giant robot sent by the Galra Empire. It was a foot or so taller than Voltron and had lasers coming out of its five dull, large eyes. It was a round robot with white tentacle like legs, but had white mechanical claws like in a toy crane machine, but the edges were deadly sharp. The shell was a deep color of purple with white horizontal stripes. It had a shell so thick that Keith’s sword was struggling to cut through it. 

“Keith! Pull the sword back, it’s going to blast us!” Shiro exclaimed to the growling red paladin while watching the robot in a determined way, but it was all an act. Shiro was always scared of these robots. He may be the most collected person on the team, but it was only for the sake of leading. He knew a leader needed a calm and rational mind, but there is one thing he cannot help but do: yell. He would exclaim over the microphone to bark a command to cope with the fearful feeling eating him alive. 

“I’m trying!” Keith yelled back at him with frustration. The shell of the robot was so thick, Keith was having trouble getting his sword out. But it wasn’t just that and everyone knew it. Keith had hesitated to even strike the bot and it took Shiro to yell at him a total of three times to attack the bot. Now, Keith was panicking because his anxiety had gotten the best of him. Voltron’s sword was sharp and even with material this thick, Keith probably should be able to pull it out. However, it’s not the case now as Keith’s pupils dilated and stared at his mistake in panic. They were going to get blasted and it was his fault for hesitating and zoning out. 

“Keith, hurry!” Hunk screamed out in fright as the huge energy ball coming from the laser eyes was growing bigger and bigger, almost reaching full charge. The sight was intimidating and with Hunk having anxiety disorder, it was sending him into wheezing. His fear was the same as everyone's: dying. However, his mind took it even deeper with other paranoia, such as would it hurt? Would they just melt instantly and not feel a thing? What would their families think? Does his family already think he's dead? “Now would be a good time, Man!” He encouraged the red paladin, hoping to snap him out of his shock. Hunk had a lot to live for and he was frightened that Keith was going to be the reason his life ended prematurely.

“Voltron cannot take another hit, we already took three! Keith, you have to pull back!” Pidge commanded, looking as worried as Hunk and Shiro. There was no answer from Keith; however, on the holographic dashboard Keith's face was zoned out into an unknown haze. He looked so unaware of what was going on it was amazing to Pidge in the most horrific way. Did he not notice this beam was about to end their lives? Seeing that Keith was going to be the death of them, she suddenly had a bright idea and used her part of Voltron to grab the sword and yank it out. It was actually easy, and it shocked her. If she could pull the sword out that easily, then why couldn’t Keith? Voltron flew away just in time to get out of the way of the robot’s beam and thanks for the robot’s enormous, round shape it couldn’t turn around to chase them. The material was also too heavy, which made the robot too slow. 

“What gives, Keith!? The Gremlin could get that out, but you couldn’t?” Lance exclaimed, making Keith growl because he did not what to deal with the mockery. “I thought you were the samurai of this team!” Lance continues to 'diss', which put a big dent in Keith’s ego. Lance was having high doubts in his former leader.

“Oh, shut the fuck up, Lance!” Keith retaliated, he refused to be lectured by Lance. He barely dealt with Shiro’s lectures, he only puts up with them because he has respect for the man. 

“Guys, now is not the time! We still have a robot to defeat,” Shiro reminded them with irritation. He would not tolerate these childish games on the battle field. They were already in danger and stupidity would only get them killed. No one wanted to die, and since Shiro was the leader, the two paladins shut up with a grumble of last words to each other. Voltron turns to look at the robot that was slowly trying to turn to them.

“I have an idea!” Hunk exclaimed as a sudden realization hit him. “How about Lance uses Blue’s freeze attack and then use his Sonic cannon! Maybe we can dent the shell while the robot recharges!”

“It’s worth a shot,” Shiro said, approving the plan as Voltron splits up. 

“Alright! It’s time to shine, Blue! Show that bot what you’re made of!” Lance grinned as he cheered on the robotic wildcat. Lance commanded his lion to use the freeze attack upon the bot. It freezes in place, but it's dull eyes started to glow a bright purple. It was recharging. Blue then used the Sonic cannon. It didn’t do much damage, but as Voltron got a closer look it was shown that there was at least a small dent that was almost unnoticeable. 

“This might take a while…” Hunk groans, clearly not enjoying himself, but then again who would? They were risking their lives every day. This was not meant to be fun. 

Though, a certain blue paladin would have to disagree. He tried to make this seem like a video game to cope with the war. After all, he played many games with similar story plots, it was hard not to think of the missions as a game. That’s why Lance didn’t mind when Hunk announced that this might consume time. He just smiled and shrugged. “Well, Voltron’s gotta do what Voltron’s gotta do!” Lance announced proudly. 

So, each paladin used some sort of way to break the shell. Lance continued his technique while Hunk used his jaw blade and mouth cannon, Pidge used her tail laser and jaw blade, Shiro used his tail laser and mouth cannon, and Keith used his magma beam and back rail gun. It took a good hour or so before the robot was defeated. It honestly was one of the worst missions and most impressive technologies that Galra Empire ever made.

When the paladins got back to their headquarters, the team was very upset with their red paladin. 

“What were you thinking? I had to tell you three times to attack that robot,” Shiro lectured him as Keith was sitting on the couch with his arms crossed, feet planted on the unforgiving, cold tile on the floor. He didn’t want to hear this again, but he obviously has no choice. Shiro was the boss and everyone listens to him except Coran and Allura because they were Shiro's bosses. “You are getting into a bad habit with this day dreaming, it needs to stop!” Shiro voiced out his thoughts mercilessly onto the red paladin.

“I’m not daydreaming!” Keith snapped, hating the way that Shiro made him sound. He wasn’t day dreaming in all honesty, what was there to dream about? What future did they have anyways? Keith knew deep down in his heart that they would never make it to Earth and that they would die in the cold realm of the unknown that was Space. He had nothing to look forward to after missions or even after the war. He certainly did not have daydreams.  
“Oh ya? Then why couldn’t you withdraw your sword?” Shiro scowls bitterly at him, which made Keith sick as he started to growl once more out of frustration. Keith felt like Shiro had no right to talk to him like that, but that was just his rebellious attitude bubbling inside him. Keith knew he did something wrong, but his stubborn self refuses to admit it.

“I told you! It was stuck!” Keith argued back to Shiro, who didn’t buy it, but he didn’t have to peep a word as Pidge muttered the words right out of his mind.

“Keith, I could pull out your sword easily,” Pidge said nonchalantly, but her eyes were concerned. Her brows even started to curl in concern. “I barely used any strength.”

Keith looks at her with cold eyes before her averted his head away from her and Shiro. He was ashamed and felt like he let the team down. 

“You’re distracted and as much as I am angry about it, I am also worried, Keith,” Shiro mumbles softly, lowering his voice into a calm and comforting manner because this wasn’t like Keith. Keith was usually focused if he wasn’t going haywire in battle. Even then, at least he was moving and participating in the fight. Keith, now, was barely moving, fighting without much effort, and gazed too hard at the depths of the dark space. He was easily distracted and was blinded with slow reflexes. This was not the soldier they knew. 

“I mean, if we are all being honest, I am worried too…” Hunk said softly, almost hesitantly. He felt like he didn't have a right to interfere and with Keith being so easily tempered, he feared that Keith would yell at him. “We all been buddies for a while and you are not the one to get so distracted…” He reminded him as gently as he could. His friends knew him and this was not the paladin they knew.

Keith sighs and rubs his face before getting up. His lackluster eyes looked at them as he muttered, “I’m going to bed, I think I am just tired,” and with that, he left the room with a heavy heart and heavy footsteps. 

The team didn’t buy it though and they all just sat there in complete silence. What was going on? What did the team not know about Keith? What could be the reason Keith was not in the game? Could it be he was just tired? They all were tired and they all experienced the feeling of exhaustion becoming one with their blood stream, but that did not stop them from fighting for what mattered. Besides, Keith never fell asleep on the job, but then again he didn't have to to be tired. The team just sat there and pondered before Pidge spoke up. 

“I am not a doctor, but… I think Keith is depressed,” Pidge looks up at Shiro, who lifts a bushy eyebrow at her with surprised, grey eyes. He waits for a reason, a reason he couldn't come up with himself. She continued, “I dunno, Keith was always withdrawn, but he is even more withdrawn than usual. I think maybe the missions, or something, are finally coming down on him. I mean, what else could it be? It was just so sudden, yet not so sudden at all,” she explained, trying to find the words for it. "Being withdrawn, grumpy, and being inattentive or unresponsive are symptoms of depression and two of those he has always had. It was like it was always there, but it is worse than before." 

“Pidge, as much as it pains me that my team mate is hurting, I cannot fix that. We are paladins and no matter our problems we have to stay focused,” Shiro said as he sighed, rubbing his face. What if Keith was depressed? He couldn’t fix that and if anything, everyone was depressed. Lance missed home all the time, Hunk missed home and lives in paranoia every day, Pidge misses her family and stays up at night wondering if they are even alive, and Shiro was silently suffering from PTSD from where he was abducted but the Galra empire. Keith wasn't the only on hurting here, but he was the first person who fell.

“I get that, but maybe we need to cheer him up,” Pidge shrugs. “Get closer to him and see how things go.”

"I mean, why does it matter?" Lance asked, cocking his thin eyebrow exaggeratedly high. Lance had such an expressive face and it was so comical. "Okay, I get it, he's sad, but we are all sad sometimes."

"Lance," Pidge turned to him with a sigh, he was so ignorant. "Depression is different than sadness. Depression can last from two weeks to a longer length of time. Depression is something that does not fade and causes serious harm physically and mentally," she explained to him.

"How can it hurt him physically?" Lance asked, not buying this 'mumbo jumbo'. It was just hard to believe a feeling can hurt physically.

"Depression can disturb sleeping patterns, it can cause head aches, it can make him feel less hungry which could lead to an eating disorder-" She tried to go on, but Lance stopped her. He felt like he understood what was happening.

"Okay, Okay, I get it," Lance said, brushing it off. He was being rather rude and it made Pidge's eye twitch. "I get it, he needs a laugh and to smile. Got it."

"It's more than that, but I guess it's a start," Pidge said, sounding rather defeated.

“I guess I can try to be nice to him,” Lance huffs, though he knew that it wasn’t as hard as he made it sound. He chose to be rivals with the guy and he is usually the one to start a fight with Keith, so in all honesty, he could easily stop that mess and be there for Keith. The thing was, did he want to? Well, considering that this is effecting the team in a bad way, he decided to comply with Pidge's idea.

"I honestly never had depression, but I know what it's like to be overwhelmed and I don't want him to feel like that," Hunk said with care as he twiddles his thumbs. It was amazing how he could care for everyone so selflessly and without much reason. He looks at his team with a smile. "I'll help any way I can."

“I think I am going to talk to him,” Shiro said with a small smile about their plan. It was nice to see the team work together to build a paladin back up. “I think he might need the reassurance.” 

Everyone agrees and went off to do their own thing. Surprisingly, Keith was on their minds the entire time. Questions like: How long did he feel like this? Is he crying himself to sleep? Does he have depression? Are they overthinking? What does he think about at night? Hunk decided he wanted to cook some sweets for Keith because sweets always made Hunk feel better. Sure, he knew food couldn’t cure depression, but it might make him happy momentarily and that’s all he wanted. He wanted his friend happy. Pidge decided to take out Green for a ride a planet that was recommended to her by Allura. Pidge knew that Keith liked nature, so maybe bringing him a plant would make him feel better as well? It would definitely give his room a big more pizzazz as it looked very empty and lonely. Lance just laid in bed and thought about what he could do for Keith. Despite him being his rival, he was a teammate. He started to wonder if Keith’s depression was his fault. He always insulted Keith and he could only recall maybe a few moments where Lance complimented Keith. Lance frowns, feeling like his jealousy over Keith’s skills is what hurt him. Honestly, it was one of the worst feelings he ever felt; the feeling he might be the reason why Keith is so unhappy. He didn’t want to be the reason Keith is depressed. Lance tightened his jaw and scowled. Lance decided he would be nice to Keith, it would be weird, but he still had to do it. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith heard a knock at the door, which made him jump a little. He was just relaxing on his bed, thinking of the things that had been bothering him. He thought about it almost obsessively, trying to find an answer, but all he found were more questions and more fears. It felt like he was drowning in the abyss of his own mind. He thought he could be safe in solitude, but he keeps forgetting he is his own worst enemy and every time it captures him. He could tell who the knock belonged to, it was gentle but deep. Only Shiro made such a unique knock. Keith sighed, vexed that Shiro wanted to talk to him. He honestly wanted to mope in peace. He wanted to ponder his mistakes and his misfortunes without anyone reminding him of his failures.

“What do you want?” Keith called out for him, Shiro took that as an invitation to come in. It wasn't an invitation, though, and it made Keith's eye twitch in displeasure. He looked at Keith with an apologetic smile. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Shiro asked softly, as if Keith would blow up if he spoke any louder. Keith rolled his eyes.  
“I feel fine, what do you need?” He asked again, even more unamused than before. 

Shiro sighed and looked at Keith as if he is asking permission if it was alright if he sat on the bed. Keith beckoned him to come over hatefully, which Shiro does, and Shiro sat beside him. “Keith,” Shiro started and put a hand on the younger one’s shoulder, squeezing it with care. “You know you can tell us anything, right…? Anything that’s on your mind?” Shiro asked.  
Keith shrugs, not looking at him as he stared blankly at the wall at the opposite side of his room. He looked like he was pondering the question, which was quite offensive. “I dunno, can I?” Keith huffed a bitter chuckle. 

Shiro furrowed at the comment, was Keith doubting the team’s reliance? “Keith…” he muttered out, not sure what to say. Why was Keith being so bitter? What did the team ever do to make Keith doubt them? Sure, they had a rocky beginning, but they grew to trust and rely on each other. What happened to make Keith forget about that?

“What?” Keith asked bitterly.

“We want to help you, please know that….”

“Sure,” Keith muttered, still angry about the lecture as he tightens his jaw and Shiro could tell. Keith didn't feel like he confide in a person who tore him up in front of his friends. Shiro sighs and gave his shoulder another squeeze.

“Well.. Just keep it in mind that we do care about you and we really want to know what is wrong with you, so we can help you,” Shiro tried again, not wanting to pressure Keith into telling him.

“Shiro, I dunno if I can tell anyone this,” Keith said honestly as his hard eyes shifted to the ground. At least he stopped being so short with him. “It took a long while to tell myself this, so why do you think telling you guys this would be any easier?” 

Shiro scowled in confusion, what was the big secret? “Does this have to do with you being Galra? Is there some kind of secret within that…?”

Keith shook his head. “No, it has nothing to do with me being Galra…” he sighed in frustration. Why does it always have to be about the Galras or the war? Was there more to emotions and struggles than that? He was already annoyed before and Shiro’s little pep talk was making it worse. “Can you just leave me alone, Shiro?” he snapped, looking at his friend with eyes as hard as metal. Shiro furrowed, but nods. He was clearly offended by Keith's harsh attitude. 

“I apologize for disturbing you,” he said softly as he got up from the bed, Keith felt cold now without the other man beside him. Shiro was always warm and comforting. He always knew what to say to make Keith feel better. Shiro was his support system who never gave up on him and Keith just threw him out like a rag. “Goodnight, Keith,” he said before walking out of the room, leaving it feeling empty once more.

Keith sighs, feeling a pit of regret in his stomach. Why did he have to push everyone he loved away? Why couldn’t he just open up and just say it? Why couldn’t he just say what was on his mind and what has been distracting him for the past few weeks? Why was he such a coward? Keith knew he didn't have to be a slave to his own mind, but knowing that was different than acting on it because his mind held too many things that kept him chained down. He couldn't be free just yet. As a result, Keith suffers in silence. However, he was cracking bit by bit and one day he will burst in a fit of negative emotions. He can feel the day on the tip of his tongue and it was frightening. Keith looked at the door and frowned sadly at it, feeling unworthy of such a caring friend. He knew he should treat Shiro better and would have to apologize later to him. He had no right to do that to his dear friend. 

“Goodnight, Shiro…” he said to no one, being left alone in the complete darkness with the company of a blue light stalking him.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------  
That night Keith pondered on what to do about the situation he was facing. He didn’t know if he should tell his friends his problem or not because he was fearful of what they had to say. What if they say nothing at all? He honestly felt like that was possibly worse as silence lead to so many emotions. What if they didn’t like him anymore or kicked him out of the team? They obviously didn't need him because Lance could pilot Red, Allura could pilot Blue, and Shiro had control over Black now. Where would he go? Earth was so far away! Hell, the last time Keith saw the map of the galaxy, he couldn't even find earth after twenty minutes of searching. That was just five months ago, he could only imagine how far it is now! What if they isolated him and saw him as a burden? Keith didn't want to bother people or seem like less than what he was, whether if was human or Galra. He wanted to be seen as Keith still! What if they feared him? He couldn't handle being feared over. He left impressions on people, but they were not on purpose. Keith didn’t have a family anymore, so when he joined Voltron it felt like they were his family and he didn’t want to mess it up. He couldn’t risk getting abandoned again, especially in space. Space was empty and lacked anything regarding to resources. He would die on his own and even he knew that. It was a long and tiring thought process, which took up his night. He only got three hours of sleep at most. 

That’s why when he came down for breakfast, he looked exhausted. His hair was messed up, his eyes were red, and his head was slightly aching. He could feel a dull burn behind his eyes, begging him to be shut. But they also burned when he closed them. 

Hunk raised an eyebrow at the red paladin and bit his lip. He was a bit concerned, Keith looked awful. “Hey… are…. Are you okay?” he asked Keith, who in returned nodded groggily. “Dude, you look like you’re going to pass out,” Hunk argued, frowning at the state his friend was in and he has enough nerve to deny it!  
“M’fine… Just tired…” Keith said, which Shiro was starting to realize he says quite a bit now.

“Were you up all night?” Shiro asked, making Keith groan. 

“Shiro, please don’t nag me, I couldn’t sleep….” Keith said as he rubs his face. He honestly did not want to hear this at whatever time it was.

“Keith, what if we have a missi-“ Shiro asked, but Allura silenced him as she placed a delicate hand upon his shoulder. Shiro knew she wanted him silent. 

“It’s okay, Keith, just try to take a nap after breakfast,” Allura smiles sadly at him. Pidge informed her about what depression was and what it could do. It sounded like something Alteans get, but they called it a different name, of course. That’s when Pidge informed her that every intelligent being can get depression. While being embarrassed, Allura personally decided that she would help all she could to keep her paladin safe and happy.

Keith raised an eyebrow, that was a weird offer…. Usually she’s the one who coaches them harder than anyone, but who was he to deny a nap?

When breakfast ended, everyone gave each other a sad look. Depression can lead to insomnia. It saddened the team that Keith was so sad and left alone with his thoughts that it disturbed his sleep, something Keith liked to do often. If Keith wasn’t training or eating, he was definitely sleeping. 

But depression took it away from him.

It honestly left the team uneasy and they waited in the lounge room for him to awaken. They wanted to give Keith their gifts and let him know that they were there for him. It had been an hour since breakfast had ended. However, they see Keith coming into the lounge room with damp hair and smelling like Altean soap rather than refreshed from a nap. 

Lance raised his eyebrow at the boy. “Uhh… Didn’t the princess tell you to nap?” 

Keith glares at Lance. “I didn’t feel like sleeping.”

“Dude, you look dead,” Lance said seriously. “I think you need to consider that nap.”

“Can’t sleep,” Keith muttered hatefully. He stops before taking a breath in, he had to be nice to his friends. They were only concerned. Before Shiro could open his parental mouth, Keith spoke once more. “I got something to tell you guys anyways.”

Everyone shut up. They all just looked at each other and in wonder and fright, but also knowingly. Keith was about to tell them he had depression and maybe a sad story about self-harm and bullying at the Garrison. The team wasn’t prepared to hear it, though. Just the thought of the possibility of Keith cutting or feeling like he wasn’t worth anything made everyone taste something awful in their mouths. Lance didn’t want to be the reason Keith felt this way, but he felt like he was, and he wasn’t ready to hear it. He felt like he might break down crying if Keith told him that because Lance never wanted to make a human being feel that low. Pidge was concerned because Pidge knew what it was like feeling like she didn’t belong in society and she didn’t want Keith to feel like that. Keith had so much to offer and was one of the coolest people she had met. Hunk just hated hearing those heartbreaking stories, they made him emotional and it reminded him that sometimes humans were just as bad as the Galras that they were fighting. Shiro just didn’t want his best friend to fall apart and wish for death. Keith was too talented and had too much fire and the image of seeing that fire die was breathtaking in the worst way. 

Keith clears his thought and started to blush. His body grew stiff and he felt like his shoulders had weights on them. His feet felt embedded into the floor as he found it hard to move. “I uhh….” He was embarrassed by his story, clearly. “I dunno how to say it….” Keith breathed, looking so nervous. This was so difficult, could he really do this?

“Just try your best,” Hunk cooed to him, he could tell this was serious. Despite the comfort, Keith was very rigid and nervous. Fear was hugging him as he looked so frightful and having their eyes on him. He felt like he was on stage. He felt like a stunned performer that was self-doubting his act before preforming it. 

Keith licked his lips and bit back the ache in his gut and the peer pressure of his throat that told him to puke. “I….” he stuttered. How should he go about this? He felt his anxiety rise and it made him want to erupt. He felt like he wanted to scream, but didn't know how. “I, uh…. I am different…” he said softly, biting his lip. That was a start, he guessed.

“Dude, that’s obvious, you’re part Galra,” Lance butted in, making Pidge elbow him. “Ow!” he pouted, rubbing his assaulted arm,glaring at her.

Keith shook his head. “No, I….” Keith closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. He took in a slow breath and started to shake. He couldn't do this. He didn't feel like he could and he wanted to run. He wanted to forget this happened and run away from himself and his friends, but his feet wouldn't move him. No one on the team ever saw Keith so effected. He never showed weakness and now here he is, vulnerable and stuttering like a shy first grader that was being introduced to the class. Keith tried to remember how to phrase this. He mentally rehearsed this, so why wasn't it coming out? When he felt like he could breathe slightly, he began. “I always been different, even as a kid… So, please don’t think I sudden turned this way,” Keith glared at Hunk, who was confused about the topic, but knew the reference. He blushed apologetically. “I…. I never like…. I never was fond of….” He bit his lips and felt something sting in his eyes. He would be damned if he cried in front of them, but his voice was already cracking. He never felt so vulnerable in his life. He was so exposed and felt so naked. “I just didn’t… and I….” he tried to breathe properly, but nothing would let him. The team looked at him in worry, as if Keith was going to break himself. The words were stumbling out of his mouth as moisture built in his eyes. 

“Keith…” Shiro tried, but Keith kept trying to get it out of his system. He just had to! There was no turning back! But Shiro knew Keith was close to breaking.

“I’m gay!” Keith blurted out, finding that a lot easier to say than a lifelong story of his struggles. The words were still as hard to say as the force of saying that made him cry. He bit his lip at the way his friends looked at him. They all had wide eyes and surprised yet confused faces. “I’m sorry, please don’t think bad of me….” Keith hiccups as he tries to wipe his tears pathetically with his gloves. “Don’t kick me off the t-“ before Keith could finish he was sobbing. Shiro got up and went to wrap his strong arms around him in a firm hug that made Keith cry even more. Keith clenched onto the back of his suit and continued to cry in his chest, trying to silence himself. 

The team remained silent, letting Keith have his moment. It was awkward to see one of the strongest members on the team cry like a that. What were they supposed to say when Keith is crying his head off like this? Also, they were shocked that they were wrong about their assumption. Keith didn’t have depression, he was just going through a self-discovery. They all looked at each other, embarrassed of themselves.

“Keith…” Shiro muttered softly to him as he rubbed Keith’s back. “I am so proud of you, that must have taken guts,” Keith could only nod as he sniffled. “I want you to know that I accept you whether you are gay or straight, I’m sure the team feels the same,” and with that Keith and Shiro pull away and look at the team. Keith looks at them with hopeful, violet eyes.

“Of course, you are still Keith,” Pidge smiled at him. “We actually thought you had something worse to say.”

“Right,” Hunk laughed. “Being gay isn’t bad, it’s kind of cool.”

“Gay is okay,” Lance flashed a cheesy grin that made Keith snort. He was so happy that all his friends were supportive. He sniffled and wiped his face.

“Thanks, guys….” Keith smiled, looking so much happier and relieved. He couldn't believe he cried like a baby for nothing. 

“It’s no problem, it’s what friends are for,” Shiro put a caring hand on his shoulder. Keith smiled and nodded. 

“Well… I am going to take that nap,” Keith chuckled. “And can we forget that whole… crying thing?”

“Nope! Using it as blackmail,” Pidge flashed a loving smile, making Keith groan.

“How can someone so small be so mean?” Keith grumbled, but it was endearing. 

“It makes up from her lack of height,” Lance grinned and yelped when he saw her shoe get chucked at him. He luckily dodged it.

Keith chuckled at this and shook his head. “I’m going to nap. See ya, guys,” he smiled and waved as everyone said their farewells to him.

Now it was silent….

“So…. Guess things will go back to normal,” Shiro said hopefully, making everyone nod in agreement. 

However, Lance started to feel uncomfortable. Keith was gay? He liked guys and stuff? That was fine, he guessed. He never had much experience being around gay people. Did he ever stare at them in the shower? That would be weird and wouldn't be comforting. He felt himself feel rather violated at the idea. Did he ever wank off to the thought of them before? Oh god, he hoped not! He didn't consent to be apart of Keith's filthy fantasies! What if Keith thought of dominating him? He was a guy that believed his own butt was an exit only zone! Did he check them out? He shudders at the thought of perverted purple eyes scanning him up and down. He could see Keith lick his lips, wanting to devour him. It almost made him shake with paranoia.

“I always knew he was gay,” Pidge stated.

“Oh, definitely,” Shiro nodded in agreement.

“I always thought something was different about it, it’s really starting to make sense,” Hunk smiled. “I’m glad he’s comfortable with himself now.”

Lance wish he could think those kind things, but all he could feel is fear. Hell, how could he not see this coming like everybody else did? Did he just not have a gaydar? If he was so oblivious to this, what else was he oblivious to?

Oh god, he was scared of Keith.

**Author's Note:**

> Resource(s): https://www.psychguides.com/guides/depression-symptoms-causes-and-effects/
> 
> I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defenders and I do not own the characters of Voltron. All characters and the series go out to DreamWorks and its other helpers. <3


End file.
